Senators Shaheen, Enzi and Hassan Applaud Senate Passage of Their Legislation that Honors Christa McAuliffe

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) issued the following statements after the Senate passed their Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act last night, bipartisan legislation cosponsored by 81 Senators to create a commemorative coin to honor Christa McAuliffe, the Concord educator who died aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986. The bill further reaffirms American commitment to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, with proceeds from the coin supporting STEM education.

The Space Shuttle Challenger crew included Christa McAuliffe, Dick Scobee, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith and Ellison Onizuka.

“Christa McAuliffe continues to serve as a role model and inspiration for Granite Staters and Americans across the country seeking to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and math,” said Senator Shaheen. “By further strengthening support for STEM education, this bill honors Christa’s legacy as a passionate and dedicated advocate for her students and for science education. I am very pleased that the Senate passed this bipartisan legislation unanimously, and I urge the House of Representatives to pass this bill as soon as possible.”

“For years, I have encouraged and supported young peoples’ interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, and I am proud to cosponsor this legislation,” Senator Enzi said. “Christa McAuliffe’s memory and teachings live on through the students that will benefit from the proceeds of this bill. It is inspiring that, as a nation, we can look back 33 years after such a tragedy to honor Christa McAuliffe and work to help future leaders.”

“The legacy and example set by Christa McAuliffe will continue to inspire generations of Americans to push the bounds of human knowledge and scientific discovery,” Senator Hassan said. “Our bipartisan bill will honor her legacy by using the funds from the Christa McAuliffe commemorative coin to support the FIRST Robotics program, which encourages young people to engage in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this important bipartisan legislation without delay.”

Read the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act bill text here.